Ghosts of Black Bear Mountain, page 34
part #1 of Middwood Series
Anger flared inside me. A hate strong enough to push down the fear that should of had me scurrying to get away. My earlier thought was correct, I was in danger. I was in the presence of a murderer, the child killer, Randy Bankward.
Bankward scoffed, “Do it and get it over with.”
“No, none of that. We aren’t going to kill an innocent man.”
“Bill, there’s no way he’s innocent.”
In front of me, a weathered brick wall ran at length. It was an open area with a few trees close by. I dropped my chin to the left and saw a stagnant, film-covered pond.
I was at the graveyard.
I rolled onto my back.
“Damn, he isn’t going to die.” Bankward huffed, “Try it your way.”
Pastor Jimmy Gresham knelt beside me. "You are one lucky man."
“What? Your fire didn't kill me?" my voice croaked.
"Kill you? Matt, we saved your life," said Bill Self, stepping up behind Gresham. Without my glasses, I couldn’t see Self’s face clearly, but it appeared bloodied and his eyes were darkened.
“Save me? Did you? You killed—” more coughs erupted from my burning chest.
"Yes, we pulled you out of the house," said the pastor. "Just in the nick of time."
I fought out my words through horse coughs, “Where’s Peter?”
Gresham shook his head. “No more tricks, Matt. It’s time—”
Weakly, I grabbed at Gresham. “Where is he!"
Gresham's tone firmed with concern as he shrugged me off, "There wasn't anyone else with you.” He rose and turned to Self. “Was there?”
“Peter was in the house,” Self said.
“What?” growled Gresham.
Self stuttered, “Yes, but—“
Gresham grabbed Self. “You idiot! Why didn’t you tell us!”
“Quiet!” ordered Bankward. “We can deal with that later.”
Gresham pushed Self away from him. “But what about Tonya?”
I rolled onto my side. “Are you going to kill her, too?”
"We didn't kill anyone," Self said in a defensive plea.
I tried to stand. “I swear—”
I took a boot to the face, and my neck jerked back. My head fell to the dirt with a dull thud.
"What the hell?" panicked Self.
“We're here to do a job. I'm not going to play around like last time. You have really screwed this up, Bill.”
“Me? The boy was there and the ghost children. I didn't know what to do. Randy, you’re the one that wanted to move on this so fast.”
“Don’t you question me. Gresham is the one that came to me about Magnolia.”
They continued to argue amongst themselves. I noticed Self’s gray sweatshirt. I strained my eyes. His eyes appeared dark because he had a black-eye. "That was you? You were dressed up like Joshua Johnson?"
Self hurried to me and clamped his palm over my mouth. I pushed against his grip, but I couldn’t move him. In my weakened state, all he would need to do was hold my nose to easily kill me.
His eyes searched mine with a crazed intensity. “Matt, I need you to listen. Shut up and listen.”
I stared at him.
“Blink your fucking eyes, if you understand.”
I blinked, and he removed his hand from my mouth.
He pressed his hand down onto my chest. “I’m trying to save your life. You need to leave town. None of this happened, you see?” His pitch rose as he leaned harder into my chest. “None of it. I’m sorry about Peter. I didn’t mean to kill him.”
Gresham pulled Self back. “Get yourself together. We’ll deal with Tonya.”
“How? She’ll kill us all. You know she will.”
“Bill, if you won’t get yourself together, I’ll have to kill, you too.”
Gresham shot Bankward an angry look. “Don’t worry, she won’t ever know because Mattie Junkie boy is going to work with us.”
Randy Bankward marched to me and gripped his fingers into my hair and yanked me up to my knees. “This is our scapegoat, here. This is all your fault, Matt. Before you came to Middwood everything was fine. But with you here, within a few days the ghost children get stirred up like hornets, someone breaks one of my windows, and people start dying. You have a real gift of causing all hell to break loose.”
“Don’t kill him, Randy. Don’t,” blubbered Self.
Bankward jerked my hair harder and spoke through his teeth, “Now is the time to use that teacher brain of yours and listen. Your car is fixed. The tank is full. There’s some money in the glove box. Get in, drive away, keep your mouth shut, and never come back. It’s as simple as that.”
“How much money?” I asked.
Bankward let go of me and I dropped to the ground.
He smiled. “See, boys. I told you he would take it. Junkies are simple folk.”
“How much money you pig? How much money is Peter’s life worth to you?”
Bankward’s smile faded and he spat on me. “Leave or die, junkie.”
Gresham spoke up. “Middwood isn’t the right fit for you. Take his offer. We won’t offer it again.”
“Do we have a deal or are we going to have to throw you in an open grave? You’re afraid of your own shadow so I know you’ll make the right choice. I’ll even get Bill to throw in some of those happy pills you like so much.”
The fire from the house couldn’t match the blaze inside of me. “You think it’s that easy? Give me some pills and wish me on my way?”
“For an excuse of a man like you? Yes.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why not?” Self pleaded.
Gresham shook his head. “Think about what you are doing—”
I shouted, “I don’t need to think about it.”
“Then we kill you,” Bankward said.
“Coward,” I growled.
Randy Bankward’s face twisted into an angry grin. “Why are you calling me a coward?”
“Because I know what you are. All of you!”
“You’re a dead man,” spat Bankward.
“Death would be a mercy.”
“What in God’s name?” asked Gresham.
Bankward stepped back. “It’s the devil in him. He’s made a pack with the devil.”
I glared at Gresham. “Were you behind putting Bankward in charge of the town?"
“The town made that decision," sneered Gresham.
"Then when did the bank start making so much money?"
"You don't know what you're talking about," Bankward insisted in a near-calm voice.
"I know you killed those kids," I spat blood in Gresham's face. He threw me to the ground.
I coughed. “You killed them! You murdered them and then you all burned down the house.”
“How does he know this?” Self wailed.
“What did you do with the money?"
Gresham leaned over me. “There was no money from the land, you idiot. No one would touch that land for years."
"Careful, Gresham," warned Bankward. "Don't let it in your head. The town voted to turn that land over for mining."
"The new mine is on the land Sarah and Roger owned. That's why they put me there."
“Who put you where?”
“The ghost children. They put me at the mine.”
I made my way to my feet. "Did you kill Sarah and Roger, too."
"No, we wouldn't kill innocent people," Self insisted.
“You killed those kids.”
“How does he know that?” Gresham growled.
“They showed me. I saw it.”
Gresham stepped forward. “That’s not possible.”
“The devil’s work,” insisted Bankward.
“There is no devil at work here. Matt, please take the deal and leave,” Self said dropping to his knees beside me.
There it was, a simple, pretty package of freedom, everything I wanted. For a moment, it felt the world was pushing in on my hollow chest. The void sucked all the life from this dead place into the hole inside me and continued down into my nothing.
“I have nothing,” I uttered.
“See boys. He’s not dumb. He knows a deal with he sees it.”
I looked to Self, to Gresham, and to Bankward. “No.”
Bankward scowled, “My offer only stands—“
“Your hands are too dirty to take anything from.”
“Fine. He’s made his decision and I’ve made mine,” Bankward rushed me, but Self stood between us.
Self struggled to hold Bankward back. “Randy, I’ll get him to changed his mind.”
“I won’t change my mind. Those four poor kids.
“Then you die,” Bankward spat.
“Do it, coward.”
Bankward grinned at me in disgust and stepped away from Self. “Kill him, Bill.”
Self backed away said, "I'm not killing anyone."
"It's not like it's your first time," Bankward said reproachfully. He's not some little girl. This time you're going to have to get your hands dirty.”
“Randy?” Self cried.
“He knows! He has to die now. The devils we cast out of the Johnson children live in him. He's been sent by the devil to destroy us!" Bankward warned.
“Tell me your name, demon? Did you kill, Magnolia?" demanded Gresham.
"No." I scanned the faces of three men. "What has this bastard made you do?"
"What is he talking about?" Self panicked, turning back and forth between the two men.
Bankward stepped forward. “I’ll take care of this.”
I held up my fists and threw a punch.
He jerked back with annoyance. “You can’t even throw a punch.”
I let out a grunt, but it grew into a roaring laugh.
Bankward punched me in the eye. "What's so funny?"
Huffing out a breath, I pointed with my chin, "Behind you."
“I’m not a fool who falls for simple tricks," he spat.
"No, you're a murderer, and they've come for you.”
76
Bankward threw me to the ground as the two other men spun around.
Bankward's eyes were full of crazy rage, but his movements were calm as he took off his watch and wedding ring and placed them in his blazer pocket. "We killed you once, and we can do it again." He folded his coat and dropped it on the ground.
"Ghosts or not, you're just dead kids. You'll just run away like you always do."
I stood dumbfounded at his cocky arrogance. The man was about to attempt to fight the ghost children.
Flanking Bankward, Gresham flung off his jacket, gritting his teeth. "We're hunters," he roared in righteous anger. "We killed you once. And we can do it again!" The preacher crouched, preparing for engagement.
Something fell and dangled around his neck. It was a black cord with a dull metallic medallion.
"Peter's necklace." I scrambled to my feet and tackled Gresham. Even with all my weight, he didn't budge. He batted me away like a fly. I hit the ground, but I recovered. "Where's Peter!"
The preacher lumbered toward me. "It's your time as well."
A blue light flashed and Gresham flew away from me, slamming into a tree.
Another blue flash. About twenty yards away, Isaac materialized in front of Bankward, with water dripping from his hair. Isaac blankly stared at Randy Bankward. "I'm going to spend some time with Isaac here."
Bankward curled his lips. "Listen to me, you little shit."
Isaac's boyish face peeled away to a bloated and brutal corpse. The boy let out a shriek, attacking Bankward.
A man screamed behind me.
I whirled around.
Grace and Turtle stood between Bill Self and me. "Stop hoggin' those kids," Grace hissed.
Self readied his stance but faltered. He kept shifting his weight and his face was unsure. Self broke into a sprint and ran for the trees. Grace and Turtle slowly stalked behind him.
Gresham's large frame jumped in front of me. He shoved me to the ground. I jerked away from him as I kicked as hard as I could.
He grabbed at my leg, and I stopped. "Made you look."
I grabbed a fist full of sand and threw it into the preacher’s face. I got up and heaved the hardest punch I could.
Gresham went down, and I fell over. But it wasn't from the punch, it was from a loss of balance. My fist never made contact.
The preacher yelled out curses as Joshua disappeared with Gresham.
"They can do that?"
"Joshua!" Isaac screamed behind me.
"Remember this, you little fuck?" shouted Bankward as he dragged Isaac by his shirt down to the pond. The boy struggled, but he was no match for the grown man.
The preacher was dropped on the other side of the pond. Joshua manifested. Gresham jumped to his feet and began throwing punches.
Joshua dodged each of them, swirling in and out of physical form. "You're the man of the house now, and it's up to you."
"I'm. Not. Afraid. Of. You!" roared Gresham, punching after each thunderous word.
Shots rang out, and I ducked to the ground.
"Get away from me!" yelled Self firing off another four rounds. The bullets rippled like little blue circles as they passed through the girls.
Turtle phased in front of Self taking a bullet through the head with no reaction. "I don't feel good."
Bill turned to run, but Grace blocked his path. "Do you like brown sugar and raisins?" The girls stalked closer.
Self fell to his knees and sobbed.
Turtle walked up and touched his leg. "Just a little brown sugar will help it go down."
"You girls have breakfast yet?" asked Grace.
Self grabbed her. Somehow able to hold the ghost in his hands. He screamed and shook Grace violently. Her neck snapped, and her head fell back as her body went limp. He dropped the girl's body and stood, trembling.
The top few buttons of Self's shirt had come undone. I stared at his pale chest. Against his skin, hung a black cord with a small silver amulet.
They all have one. How is that possible? I thought.
Grace's head moved, and she sat up. "You both will get the belt." She thrust her little hands into his knees, and they bent with gruesome snaps.
Self screamed in pain. He wormed away. As he crawled, Turtle dropped and stared at him, eye to eye. She grabbed her stomach, lurched over, and threw up on him. Self raised his hands. The white, sizzling liquid splattered over his fingers and chest.
He swung his arms, groaning in agony. The liquid ate into his skin.
"I didn't know!" He screamed, "I didn't know!"
"I don't feel good," the two girls said in unison.
Both girls vomited the flesh-eating oatmeal onto Self's face. He threw himself onto the dirt, trying to roll away from the liquid. The white foam ate into his eyes. He gargled as his throat was eaten away.
I couldn't watch any longer.
Bankward jerked Isaac into the shallow water and held him under. As he leaned over and held the boy, a silver amulet fell from his neck and dangled from a black chord. Isaac gripped at Bankward's arms, but the little hands sank slowly down in the black water. Randy proclaimed, "They can be killed."
I had to help. I ran toward Bankward, but a flash of blue light took me to the other side of the graveyard.
"No!" I shouted and ran back toward the fight.
"What are you afraid of, demon? Fight me," challenged the preacher.
Joshua threw another jab that missed Gresham. Then he stepped forward and took a direct punch in the face, causing a flash of blue light.
"Feel the wrath of God."
Joshua spun around. The eldest ghost child threw one punch, connecting with Gresham’s jaw. Gresham stumbled toward me and we made eye contact. "God have mercy on you," he said.
I shook my head in sorrow for the man.
Joshua grabbed the back of Gresham's head. "Then why are you still standing there? Let's go get that turkey." Joshua pulled back his fist and punched a hole through the back of the preacher's head. Joshua grabbed his killer's eye from the inside and yanked it out. Gresham's body twitched, then crumpled.
Joshua vanished.
Bankward stood shocked as he watched Gresham fall and looked at the remains of Self. He locked his rage on me and charged out of the water. "This is all your fault!"
Vengeance boiled inside of me. "You're the killer here."
I charged forward. I let loose a punch, but he blocked it. I kneed him in the stomach. As he hunched over, I jumped up and brought my fists down on his back. He went to his knees.
"You killed them, and now they've come for you, Randy!"
Rising to his feet, he backhanded me.
I landed on my back and floundered to get to my knees.
Bankward picked up a nearby brick from the cemetery's wall. Through gasping breaths, he said, "I'll make sure to take one more person with me to hell."
A shot rang out.
Bankward cried out in pain, but followed through, slamming the rock down into my skull.
Warm blood poured over my eyes.
"No!" a shout screamed.
It was Peter's voice. He was okay. As I fell to the ground with a grim satisfaction so did the reality around me. The dreamlike space between this world and the next buzzed with desire. Whispers crept from the darkness. The wheel of fate clattered like demonic chants.
None of it mattered. I was ready to die.
The voices hidden in shadow hissed as an invisible veil fell across my being.
My head hurt like a motherfucker, but other than the pain, I was fine. I was breathing. I was thinking. Why wasn't I dead?
I lifted my face out of the mud.
Bankward had his back to me, and the sheriff had his pistol aimed at him, ready to take a second shot.
"You better hope you kill me, Philip, because if you—"
"Randy, what are you doing? Please, stop this."
I stood. "Don't shoot him."
Randy Bankward turned to me with shock. Holding his bleeding right shoulder, he spat, "Why the hell aren't you dead?"
"I wonder if it has anything to do with this?" I opened my fist and let the silver amulet fall from the black leather cord that hung from my index finger.
He snarled.
"You belong to them now, and I'm glad I'm here to watch."
Bankward charged me, but Isaac materialized and blocked his path.
